Today is World Down Syndrome Day. This annual event raises awareness of what Down Syndrome is, what it means to have Down Syndrome, and how people with Down Syndrome play a vital role in our lives and communities. RWH Technology develops apps to help people with special needs, including Down Syndrome, improve their speech and language skills. For this event, SpeakColors Español Pro and SpeakColorsHD are on sale, March 21.

The latest update for SpeakColorsHD includes a number of changes, including iOS 7 compatibility and new sentence types for the color “orange”. SpeakColorsHD version 3.2.1 is currently waiting for review by Apple. Please continue reading to learn more about the upcoming changes.

*** Update 11/25/2013 ***
SpeakColorsHD version 3.2.1 is now available for download on the App Store.

1. iOS 7 compatible.

iOS 7 is the latest version of the iPad operating system. iOS 7 features a new, minimalist, flat design. SpeakColorsHD now uses the design style of iOS 7.

2. Three new sentence types.

We have received many requests for more sentence types that use the color “orange”. Two out of the three new sentence types can be used with the color “orange”.I like the __ __I want an __ __I want a __ __

3. Removed male default voice. Default voice is now female.

Many of our users were not satisfied with the male default voice, so we made the decision to remove it.

4. Take photos with built-in device camera.

You now have more customization options. Now you can take photos and import them from within the app.

SpeakColors Español and SpeakColorsHD share the same core code. A nice side effect of this code sharing is that SpeakColorsHD gets Spanish Localization. The text on various buttons, pop-up windows, and various screens (such as Help), will show in Spanish if your iPad’s Language setting is on “Español”. Spanish language speakers could use SpeakColorsHD to learn English as a second language.

6. Preview in the “Add New Sentence” screen.

A preview of the sentence is displayed at the top of the “Add New Sentence” screen. This feature was developed for SpeakColors Español and it may also be useful for our SpeakColorsHD users. The preview provides a reminder for which sentence type/template and color you are working with. When you type text for a new noun or select a noun from the list, the preview automatically updates.

7. Cancel button in the “Edit Noun Text” screen.

For our user’s convenience, we have added a Cancel button to the screen for editing the text of a noun.

Summary

This update for SpeakColorsHD brings some exciting changes:

iOS 7 compatible.

3 new sentence types.

Removed male default voice. Default voice is now female.

Take photos with built-in device camera.

Spanish Localization of text for buttons, pop-up windows, various screens.

Preview in the “Add New Sentence” screen.

Cancel button in the “Edit Noun Text” screen.

SpeakColorsHD version 3.2.1 should be available for download by the end of November.

Thank you for reading. Please contact us if you have any questions. Reviews on the App Store are greatly appreciated.

*** Update 11/25/2013 ***
SpeakColorsHD version 3.2.1 is now available for download on the App Store.

SpeakColors Español Lite is now available for the iPad on the App Store! In this free download, you will get a sample of the content in the full, PRO version.

Educational Value

SpeakColors is designed for speech therapists or parents working with toddlers with speech and language delays, autism, Down syndrome and other developmental disorders.

This app does much more than just teach colors. Use SpeakColors to improve the following:
– Receptive and expressive vocabulary skills
– Phrase length
– Spoken sentences
– Speech/Articulation skills
– Initiation and choice making skills for colors and objects
– Fluency skills

Try Before You Buy

This Lite version enables you to test drive the app before making a purchasing decision. Included in SpeakColors Español Lite:

An upgrade to the features of the full, Pro version is available on a separate, parent-oriented screen.

Availability

We want our apps to be available to as many people as possible. An iPad with iOS 5.1 or later is required. In other words, the app is supported on the 1st Generation iPad and above. SpeakColors Español Lite is available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Education category. The regular price for the Pro upgrade is $6.99 USD. As part of our ASHA 2013 Promotion, the upgrade to the Pro version is only $3.99 USD (November 14 – 16, 2013).

Summary

SpeakColors has tremendous educational value. Now you can try the Spanish version for free. For more information, please visit our SpeakColors page.

Thank you for reading! We would love to hear your feedback. Please leave a review on the App Store or send us an email.

Addressing the suggestions:
“The ability to save a student’s recordings” and “A way to score the students productions either within the app or inputted by therapist”– Saving a student’s recordings and keeping score are both at the top of the list of new features to add.

“A visual “reward” for student such as collecting a sticker after so many productions”– We like the idea of having a reward and will consider it for future updates

I’m very happy to announce that we just released the Spanish version of our SpeakColors app for the iPad! Use SpeakColors Español to help children increase vocabulary, phrase length, receptive and expressive language, and fluency skills. It is also great for bilingual children.

There are a few people I would like to thank that helped make this app possible. First, I would like to thank my wife, Tiffany, for the idea of SpeakColors and for all her love and support. A big thank you to Ana Paula G. Mumy, for providing her voice for the app and translating English to Spanish. I would also like to thank my friend Alvil Tayco for his ideas and advice on social media marketing.

SpeakColors Español is available on the App Store. We would love to hear your feedback. Please leave a review on the App Store or send us an email.

We are very excited to introduce SpeakColors Español for the iPad! This new app is the Spanish version of our popular speech therapy app, SpeakColorsHD.

SpeakColors Español will be released world-wide on Thursday, September 12, 2013. Continue reading to learn more about SpeakColors Español.

*** Update 09/12/2013 ***
SpeakColors Español is now available on the App Store.

Educational Value

SpeakColors Español is more than a colors app and teaches valuable speech and language skills. SpeakColors Español can be used to improve the following:

Receptive and expressive vocabulary skills

Phrase length

Spoken sentences

Speech/Articulation skills

Fluency skills

Initiation and choice making skills for colors and objects

SpeakColors Español includes a huge amount of content. There are a total of 1175 sentences included in the app. There are 19 sentence types (including masculine and feminine forms) to provide new challenges as your child progresses.

Clean, Minimalist Design

The first thing you will notice when starting a session in SpeakColors Español, is the clean, minimalist design. During a speech therapy session, the focus should be on the learning. The clean design of the app helps minimize distractions.

The app is easy to use and child-friendly. Pick a color from the top of the screen. Pick a sentence type from the menu in the upper-left of the screen. Press on the text, color or object in the middle of the screen to hear a voice recording. Use the microphone to practice speaking and then playback to get immediate feedback. Swipe left or swipe right (or use arrow buttons) to change objects.

Professional Voice

Voice quality is very important in an app such as this. The sounds and words need to be properly modeled for the child to imitate. We are very happy to have Ana Paula G. Mumy, a trilingual Speech-Language Pathologist, provide her voice for the app. She has worked with children and adults in a variety of settings, specializing in articulation strategies, language and literacy, and bilingual issues. She has developed many therapy tools for both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking children of all ages. We think she has done an outstanding job on SpeakColors Español. Be sure to check out her web site at http://www.thespeechstop.com for resources for SLPs, educators and parents.

Real Photos

SpeakColors Español uses high quality photos of real food, animals, toys and common objects. 200 photos are included in the app. You can import photos from your Photo Library or use the built in camera to take photos.

Customizable

Each child has different goals. The customization options in SpeakColors Español helps you tailor the app to the needs of your child. Add new nouns, import photos and use the microphone to record your own voice. Customization can be a fun, educational activity to do with your child.

Summary

SpeakColors Español will be available for the iPad on Thursday, September 12, 2013 for $6.99 USD.

Here are five great reasons to love SpeakColors Español:

Huge Educational Value

Professional Spanish Voice

Clean, minimalist, child-friendly design

Photos of real animals, food, and toys

Customizable to suit the goals of your child

This is a great app for bilingualism. We think Spanish-English speaking SLPs, teachers, parents and children will greatly benefit from SpeakColors Español. At the bottom of this post are some screenshots. For more information, please visit our SpeakColors web page or contact us.

Thank you for reading! If you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please contact us; we would love to hear from you.